S1 Episode 03: The Lost Youth
by firebreathingfishies
Summary: The Doctor finally gets Ashley home but it isn't long before he picks up on the news of seven missing teenage girls and decides it could be linked with the sightings of mysterious large dogs seen at night. Ashley is not so easily convinced. Complete.
1. Love Hurts

_Hopefully this one won't be as... mad as the last one lol! Thank you to everyone who's following this! I'm doing a little dance, you just can't see it :p_

_Anywhoo, no spiders in this one... but if you don't like dogs then, well..._

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Chapter 1

Love Hurts

Victoria Hepple raced down the dark and bitter street, her trainers pummelling the concrete beneath her feet. She sobbed openly, her tears blurring her vision. She ran on anyway, fish tailing up the street. Although the fish tailing was partly to do with the bottle of cider she had just drank while sitting in the park. If it weren't for the cider she probably wouldn't be crying. If it weren't for her bastard of a boyfriend she definitely wouldn't be crying.

The argument had been petty. She would most certainly realise that in the morning, but the perceptions that most fifteen year olds have when it comes to boys and romance is already warped without having alcohol to add to the irrational, hormone ravaged madness. Her boyfriend had pointed out that Kylie Lawrence had nice eyes. Victoria had gone berserk.

So now here she was, running blindly through the streets at two in the morning, wailing her heart out and not even heading in the right direction to get back home. She hadn't noticed that yet though, and she didn't until she turned off the housing estate and into the fields that ran for miles behind the many streets. Eventually she came to a stop, wheezing and hitching and half sobbing. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hands, she looked around.

She let out a drunken wail when she realised she had stumbled into a field. She looked around, her eyes finally managing to focus on the glow of the streetlights behind her and she began to trek back, whimpering like an upset toddler. Her foot slipped into a pothole and she dropped down onto her knees. With a whining curse, she groggily pushed herself back to her feet, stumbling to regain her balance.

Something growled.

Victoria glanced around, wide eyed. Her vision wasn't exactly reliable at this moment in time, but her ears were perfectly fine. She saw nothing in the surrounding darkness, but she heard another growl. It was low and throaty, and it sounded like it had come from something big.

'Who… who's there?' she stammered, her heart thumping noisily in her ears.

There was rustling in the grass. Victoria began to move quickly towards the street, panic rising in her easily. There was a sharper growl – more like a snarl – and then the unmistakable sound of something big and heavy racing after her. Victoria sprinted, unable to yell, scream or even cry anymore. She ran and ran, despite the fact her legs already felt like they were pumping battery acid. She saw the dilapidated fence separating the field from the street and pushed herself harder. The thing chasing her _barked_. It sounded further away. Maybe she could actually make it…

She tripped, going head over feet and landing rather spectacularly on her back. Dazed and winded, she lay there, trying to get her breath back. Footsteps padded in the grass around her. She lay still, wishing she would just melt away in the darkness. The thing snarled.

Shining black velvet suddenly blocked her view of the starry sky. Red eyes glared down at her. Huge, yellowed fangs bared. A low rumble sounded in the creatures' broad, muscular chest.

Victoria Hepple opened her mouth, and screamed.


	2. Manny's Wrath

**Chapter 2**

**Manny's Wrath**

'Where the _hell_ have you been?' Manny roared as soon as Ashley and the Doctor stepped through the door.

Ashley was shocked by the sudden invasion of sound and came to a stop, looking up at Manny. Behind her, the Doctor paused awkwardly. Ashley blinked at her furious housemate and replied; 'Eh?'

'I came home a week ago to find the back door smashed in! _You_ said you would fix it, and then you just _disappear_! I've been trying to phone you! You left your bloody phone in the front room!'

Ashley turned to the Doctor, frowning at him accusingly. 'You said no one would notice.' She hissed.

The Doctor shrugged and shook his head. Ashley turned back to Manny, her expression apologetic.

'Well… we only intended to be away for a few hours but a, um, a few things came up.'

'I bet they did.' Manny scowled, looking the Doctor up and down distastefully. The Doctor looked offended. Ashley blushed.

'Manny-' she started.

'What the _hell_ are you wearing, anyway?' Manny snapped.

Ashley looked down at the animal skin, belly-top style sash she was still wearing and flushed even redder. She crossed her arms over her chest. 'Can I talk to you in the kitchen please?'

Manny grimaced, rolled his eyes, and then stalked into the kitchen. Ashley stepped aside so the Doctor could actually get in out of the rain. Still red faced, she pointed to the living room door.

'Just go on in.' She told him. 'Hang your coat up on the corner of the door or something and stick the fire on to dry yourself off.' She moved towards the kitchen door, shaking her head. 'I'm so sorry about him. I shouldn't be long.'

The Doctor waved a hand dismissively. 'Don't worry about it.' He told her, half smiling. As he went into the living room, he decided that he would rather be back facing that giant Arakreu than having to confront Ashley's poisonous housemate.

The first time he had been here he hadn't looked around properly. The living room walls were painted a red so bright it almost matched Ashley's hair (and at the moment, her face). Various posters were pinned up on the walls, ranging from _The X-Files_ and _Star Wars_, to _Dirty Dancing_ and _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_. It didn't take a genius to figure out which pictures belonged to who. Shaking his head, the Doctor took off his coat and hung it on the door as Ashley had told him to. He moved inside, tucking his hands in his pockets. Through the thin wall, he could hear Ashley and Manny as clear as day.

'Manny you complete berk!' Ashley hissed. 'What the hell is wrong with you?'

'What the hell is wrong with _you_?' Manny shot back angrily. 'You disappear for like, a whole _week_ without a phone call, a letter, a kiss-my-arse or anything! I had to fork out for that back door! Then you just show up again like nothing's wrong with some guy who looks about twice your age-'

The Doctor frowned. He didn't look _that_ old.

'Oh shut up, Manny.' Ashley cried. 'He's about seven years older than me or something.'

The Doctor chuckled, sitting down on the couch. Well she was out by a few centuries.

'Anyway, maybe if you stop throwing a bloody hissy fit for five minutes I can tell you where I've been!'

'Come on then,' Manny snarled. 'Out with it. Where have you been?'

Silence from Ashley. 'I uh… it's complicated.'

'See? You _won't_ tell me where you've been! Why don't you go back out with your boyfriend? You've been sacked from your job anyway so it's not as if you're going to be able to pay the rent anymore, anyway!'

'I've been _sacked_?'

The Doctor sighed and twiddled his thumbs in boredom. He glanced around, trying to drown out the shrill argument from the next room. He noticed the TV remote beside him and picked it up. He looked at it for a moment, and then turned on the TV.

Some daytime TV chat show came on with the tagline, _My Father is my Brother!_ The Doctor rolled his eyes.

'Only on Earth.' He muttered, changing the station.

The news came on. He sat back on the couch, pleased with how soft it was, and turned his attention away from the argument in the kitchen to the middle-aged news reporter on the television.

'…_the local authorities suspect that it is a 'runaway pact' between local teens. Victoria Hepple is the seventh teen in as many days to disappear from the area. Fliers are being handed out and anyone with any information are urged to contact the authorities immediately. However the officer in charge of the investigation stresses that there is no evidence that any of these girls have been abducted and doesn't believe that any of them are in immediate danger. In other local news, there have been reported sightings of large black dogs on the fields near Whitechapel_…'

'I'm so sorry about that.' Ashley said, walking in the room and sighing heavily.

The Doctor looked up at her, his connection with the television severed. 'What? Oh… really it's okay. He's bound to be angry. I should be apologising for brining you back late.'

'You should be.' Ashley replied, sitting down on the couch with a heavy sigh. She grimaced and looked down at her self. 'Oh god I smell worse than Rab C Nesbit's jockstrap.'

'Nice comparison.' The Doctor nodded. 'And I think I might have to agree with you.'

Ashley turned and frowned. 'Thanks.' She said flatly. She sat forward. 'Okay, so what do you want? Tea? Coffee? Sambuca?' She did a little shuffle dance and grinned.

The Doctor looked back to the television, but the local news had ended and now it was the weather. 'How about,' the Doctor said, turning to Ashley and clasping his hands. 'You go get a wash and smarten yourself up, and you can show my around your lovely hometown.'

Ashley cocked her eyebrow at him. 'You want to look around _here_?' she asked.

'Yeah. Why not?'

'Why not? Maybe because the most exciting thing that happens around here is occasionally Mrs Gordon, the old lady from number sixty seven, manages to fall into her rubbish bin in the front yard.'

The Doctor snorted. 'Sometimes the most mundane can be the most remarkable.'

Ashley shrugged her shoulders. 'Well if you say so.' She headed out of the room. 'I guess I won't be long then.'

The Doctor watched after her and then leaned back in his seat, a thoughtful frown on his face.

* * *

_To anyone who doesn't know who Rab C Nesbit is, I advise you to google the name to get the joke :p_


	3. Inference and Intimidation

**Chapter Three**

**Inference and Intimidation**

'Well this is a serious case of déjà vu I'm getting.' Ashley said as she stirred her tea and looked down at the newspaper in front of her. They sat by the window in the café, the rain drumming on the glass. The Doctor sat opposite her, stirring his own cup of tea and looking at her.

'You see anything of interest in that paper?' he asked, nodding towards it.

'Well… the date is a week later than I had expected it to be.' She replied with a shrug. 'Which makes a change.'

The Doctor sighed and reached forward, tapping a tiny article in the bottom left corner of the page. 'Read that.'

Ashley leaned forward. 'The parents of sixteen year-old Victoria Hepple have put out an appeal for anyone who may have information on their daughter's disappearance. She was last seen with friends and reportedly ran away after an argument with her boyfriend. The local officials believe she is part of a runaway pact; a group of six other girls who have also gone missing from the area in as many days…' Ashley straightened up. 'It's continued on page four.'

'Now look at the main headline.'

Ashley rolled her eyes and sighed. She read the main headline aloud. 'Local man finds a dead mouse in his crisps…' She scrunched up her nose. 'Oh, urgh.'

'Now, correct me if you think I'm being irrational here,' the Doctor said, folding the paper over. 'But don't you think a story about seven teenage girls going missing over the course of seven days is a little more important than finding a mouse in a packet of crisps?'

Ashley sat back in her chair. 'Well if it were me eating the crisps…'

The Doctor looked at her disapprovingly. She sighed.

'Look, I just don't see what's so important. Kids run away from here all the time. If it's not entirely obvious this place is pretty dull. I wouldn't be surprised if a group of them got together and decided to run off somewhere.' She lifted her tea to her lips. 'They'll come running back home as soon as they realise that they don't have their mummies and daddies to give them money.'

The Doctor leaned back in his seat. 'I just think it's a bit strange, is all.' He turned to the window, watching the raindrops run down the other side as he drummed his fingers on the edge of the table. 'Seven young girls going missing in this day and age, and no one's that worried?' He shook his head and sighed.

Ashley rolled her eyes. 'Okay. I've cottoned on to the fact you don't want a tour of the town. Are you going to tell me your magnificent revelation to what's going on, or are you just going to keep on unsubtly hinting?'

The Doctor grinned and leaned forward quickly. 'I thought you'd never ask. Well, I saw-'

'Ashley?'

Ashley looked up at the person who had appeared at the side of the table. Annoyed at being interrupted, the Doctor frowned.

'Just a minute there, pally,' he said, holding a finger and turning back to Ashley. 'Well I-'

'Eddy.' Ashley breathed at the man. 'I uh… What are you doing here?'

The man who stood by the table was tall, with grey-blue eyes and closely cropped hair. He stood with his hands tucked into the pockets of his black, tracksuit style jacket, the wetness from outside shining on his shoulders.

'Just passing.' He replied with a small smile. 'Thought I'd drop in.' He looked to the Doctor and eyed him up at down.

At the mention of Eddy, the Doctor clamped up at frowned up at him. As the two men eyed each other warily Ashley shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. She swallowed, searching for words.

'So uh, how have you been?' she asked.

'Fine.' Eddy nodded, eyes lingering on the Doctor a moment longer before returning to her. 'I was just wondering if I can talk to you at some point.'

Ashley's stomach flipped. 'Um, sure.'

'Actually,' Eddy went on. 'I was thinking about now, if it's okay.'

'Um okay.'

Eddy pulled up a chair and sat down, smirking. 'Do you think you could go get me a coffee? I've got a killer headache. Didn't get much sleep last night.'

Ashley's chair scraped noisily on the tiled floor as she pushed away from the table. She stumbled a little when rising, and then hurried off towards the counter. The Doctor watched her go, and then looked towards Eddy. Eddy was grinning at him.

'So you're her new bit fluff, eh? Weird mind, you don't look like her type.' Eddy eyed the Doctor for a reaction. The Doctor only glared back. 'She's a good girl, you know. Does as she's told. Talented too, if you catch my drift.' He snickered and leaned forward. 'So I tell you what. You get your skinny backside out of here right now, and I'll forget I saw you in here with her, okay?'

The Doctor lifted his head and slowly glanced around. At the counter, Ashley was fumbling with the little packs of sugar. With a sombre face, the Doctor leaned forward to Eddy. 'I'll tell _you_ what,' he said in a low voice. 'You get up, turn around and walk away, and I'll forget that you just said that.'

Eddy cocked his head, his confidence momentarily shattered. 'You what?'

'And you're going to leave her alone.' The Doctor warned. 'If she tells me you've spoken to her, or even _looked_ at her again, you'll have me to deal with.'

Eddy laughed. 'And what the hell are you going to- _Oof_!'

The Doctor pulled Eddy's head down onto the table with a swift movement. The sudden bang caught the attention of most of the people in the café, including Ashley, who looked over curiously. Hand keeping Eddy's head on the table; the Doctor leaned forward to his ear.

'You don't want to mess with me sunshine.' He told him quietly. 'I've destroyed things bigger and stupider than you for less.'

He let go and Eddy shot upright, stumbling up and knocking the chair over. It clattered to the floor and he quickly hurried out of the café, red faced. The Doctor leaned back, watching him rush off down the street through the window. Ashley returned to the table and looked at the Doctor in disbelief.

'What happened?' she asked.

'Oh, he just had to go.' The Doctor replied, clasping his hands. 'Right, so where was I. Oh yeah I was going to enlighten you on my brilliant deductions. Tell you what, how about I show you?'

Ashley was still blinking at him and holding the coffee that Eddy had asked her to get – _before_ he had stumbled out of the café.

'There'll be a police station around here, won't there?'

Ashley cleared her throat. 'Um… yeah. About ten minutes away.'

The Doctor's face lit up. 'Great.' He rose to his feet. 'Come on, time for some snooping.'


	4. Going Undercover

**Chapter 4**

**Going Undercover**

'Ah the police.' The Doctor breathed in deeply, looking up at the four storey, brown bricked building the loomed ahead of them. 'We can always count on them to have important information that they won't use.'

Ashley glanced from the building to the Doctor, blinking through the rain, which had lightened a little since leaving the café. 'You think they're just going to let you swan in and rake through the records?'

'Ah this is where this comes in handy.' The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a leather wallet. He let it flip open in front of Ashley's face.

'A blank piece of paper?'

'Psychic paper.' The Doctor told her proudly. 'When I use it, I can make it say anything I want to the person I show it to. For example, use it to make the officer on duty think I'm an Inspector who wants to look through some of the current case files.'

'Yeah right.' Ashley scoffed. 'Like the guy behind the desk is going to take one look at that and let you wander straight on in.'

The Doctor grinned at her, and headed towards the building.

'You can't be serious!' she called after him, jogging to catch up. 'Doctor!'

* * *

'I hafta say we weren't expecting you at all, Inspector Morse,' the young policeman said as he led the Doctor and Ashley down the hallway. 'Sarge didn't say anything about any inspectors coming around.'

'Don't worry about it.' the Doctor replied. 'Uh… Mary was supposed to call and arrange it.'

'Mary Hancock?' the young officer enquired.

The Doctor and Ashley shared a puzzled look. 'Um, yeah.' The Doctor agreed.

The officer chuckled. 'Yeah she forgets stuff. How is she anyway? How are the kids?'

The Doctor blinked. 'Fine. Fine. All fine.'

The young officer glanced back to the Doctor quizzically. Not for the first time, he looked at Ashley with uncertainty. 'Are you sure she's okay to be here?'

'Course she is.' The Doctor grinned. 'She's on an ah…undercover case, which is the reason for the hair. I could tell you about it but… well… it's secret.'

The young officer laughed. 'Ah that's the reason.' He chuckled. 'I was wondering why anyone in the right mind would want to do that to their hair.'

Ashley scowled while the Doctor smirked. Ashley caught him smirking and nudged him. Instantly his smile dropped and he looked at her seriously, shaking his head in disapproval. Ahead the officer pushed open a door and stepped aside.

'I think you'll find what you're looking for in here. Sorry about the mess. We haven't got around to organising for a while.'

The Doctor and Ashley walked into the small room that was packed with metal filing cabinets. There were piles of brown files everywhere. The Doctor looked dismayed.

'So which ones are current cases?' he asked.

'Beats me.' The young officer shrugged. 'I never come in here.'

With that, he turned and headed back down the corridor, his hands in his pockets. Ashley grimaced after him and closed the door, whirling around to the Doctor.

'Who in the right mind would do something like that their hair,' she snorted. 'Boring sod. I bet he's never had a girlfriend.'

'If you don't mind I'd like to find these case files before someone turns up and tells him we're not who we say we are.' The Doctor immediately started flipping through the nearest batch of files.

Ashley moved off to another pile, flicking through them amiably. 'Well I bet you that we would have a bit longer to look if you didn't insist on calling yourself Inspector Morse. I mean… come _on_.'

'I've always wanted to do it.' the Doctor insisted. 'Who would pass up an opportunity to use that name?'

Ashley shook her head. 'I wonder about you sometimes, Doctor. What exactly am I looking for anyway? All these seem to be shoplifting and drunk and disorderly.' She shrugged. 'Kind of tells you everything about this town, doesn't it?'

'Anything on those missing girls. There should be seven folders, probably quite close to each other but they won't be attached or anything.'

Ashley half nodded. 'Right-ho. It's a shame they didn't just file them under 'M' for 'Missing persons'.' She paused, and glanced over her shoulder to the Doctor. The Doctor was looking back at her.

'Sometimes I wonder about me too.' He muttered, moving towards the filing cabinet. Ashley followed and watched as he searched for 'M'. He rolled the drawer open and flicked through the files.

'And what are you going to do once you've got them?' Ashley asked, trying to peer over his shoulder. 'Do you even know what you're doing?'

'I always know what I'm doing.' The Doctor replied. He glanced to her with a frown. 'I thought you would have realised that by now.'

Ashley rolled her eyes up and mulled it over. 'Well… all you've done so far is kind of almost get us killed…'

'Come on!' the Doctor cried. 'If it wasn't for me you'd still be strapped on that table!'

'If it wasn't for you we wouldn't have been there in the first place.' Ashley replied.

The Doctor turned away, frowning. 'Well you didn't _have_ to come with me…' He tuned changed almost instantly as he pulled a batch of files from the drawer. 'Bingo!' he cried, twirling with them in his hand and laying them on the only clear piece of surface in the whole room.

Ashley stood at his side, looking at the files as he flipped them all open and spread them out. Each file had an A4 sized picture. All the girls were young and pretty, most likely no younger than fourteen and no older than seventeen. The Doctor scanned quickly through all the information – a lot faster than Ashley would be able to read through it all.

'Ah-hah!' the Doctor cried triumphantly.

'Ah-hah?' Ashley asked, eyebrow cocked.

'According to these,' he explained to her. 'All of the girls were last seen in a mile radius from one another. All out late at night. All on their own.'

'Well I don't see what you're getting at.' Ashley replied. 'If they have all ran away, it would make sense that they would all be from the same area or at least _hung around_ in the same area. And even if they were snatched by some sick pedo, then it just kind of narrows down the search area. The guy would obviously be from around there somewhere.'

'You're right, but completely wrong at the same time.' He reached into his pocket and pulled out the newspaper from the café. Ashley hadn't even seen him pick it up. It rolled open and Ashley found herself looking at the story headlined '_The Whitechapel Werewolves_'.

The Doctor grinned at her over the top of the paper. 'Guess where that mile radius is?'

Ashley blinked at him. 'Whitechapel?'

'Correctamundo!' The Doctor beamed, slamming the paper down on top of the files. He grimaced. 'I promised myself I'd never say that again.'

Ashley cocked an eyebrow at him. 'Are you trying to tell me that werewolves killed those girls? God I feel like Scully.'

'No, that would be ridiculous.' The Doctor replied. 'I don't think they're dead.'

Ashley waited for more, but apparently the Doctor was finished. 'You're not saying werewolves are ridiculous.'

He looked at her. 'That's because they're not. You tell a werewolf it's ridiculous and you better make sure you can run fast.'

Ashley gaped at him.

'What's wrong with you?' The Doctor asked. 'Catching flies?'

Ashley closed her mouth.

'Well I think we should go and have a gander around this Whitechapel place.' He rolled up the paper and put it back in his pocket. 'What's there, exactly?'

'Um… A few houses. The fields.'

'Fields?'

'Yeah, this town is surrounded by them on all sides. It's like a twenty-minute trip into the main town. This used to be a big farming place, but they all cleared off a years ago.'

The Doctor headed towards the door. 'Well I think the fields nearest to Whitechapel are the best place to look, do you?'

'Personally,' Ashley replied as she followed him. 'I think this is impossible.'

'We've been to 3008 and 14,000 BC,' the Doctor smiled at her. 'You'd think that would make you realise that when you're with me, anything is possible.'


	5. Figure in the Fog

**Chapter 5**

**Figure in the Fog**

'It's cold… it's wet… I'm tired and I'm hungry,' Ashley moaned as she trudged across the damp and misty field behind the Doctor. 'I can smell bacon and I think my stomach is going to digest itself.'

'We won't be long,' the Doctor told her as he walked ahead, hands in his pockets. It looked like he was just out for a stroll, not looking for evidence of missing girls and werewolves. 'If we don't find anything you can go home for a while.'

'Right,' Ashley nodded sulkily. 'And I bet while I'm there you'll hop in your Tardis and bugger off.'

The Doctor looked at her. 'Give me some credit,' he told her. 'I would at least wait until I'd gotten to the bottom of this before I did that.'

'I bet you're just looking for an excuse to hang around a little longer because I roped you in with my magnificent charm,' Ashley joked. 'You just couldn't stand to see me go, could you?'

'To be honest,' the Doctor replied, still walking ahead. 'If I was looking for a reason to stick around, it would probably be to make sure you don't abuse your newly discovered abilities by torching stuff.'

Ashley's smile faltered and she drew her eyebrows together in a hurt expression. Before she had a chance to retaliate however, the Doctor let out a strange, inquisitive sound and stooped down close to the soggy ground. Shivering from the cold, Ashley stood over him.

'It seems…' the Doctor said as he plucked something almost invisible from the dewy grass. 'That we might have found ourselves a clue.'

'What are you, Superman or something?' Ashley asked, squatting beside him and looking at the short black hair between his fingers. 'How the hell did you see that?'

'When you've been around as long as I have,' the Doctor explained, closely examining the hair. 'You learn to be observant.' He cast her a quick look. 'And patient.'

Ashley grimaced as the Doctor put the hair in his mouth. He concentrated on it for a moment, and then picked it off his tongue again, flicking it away into the dewy grass. He stood up silently.

'Did you just lick that?' Ashley asked.

'Well we can rule out wild dogs.' The Doctor said, apparently ignoring her. 'I think the rain washed away most of the genetic information, but I think I can confidently say that this hair either came from a female Jildeon Hound or an excessively hairy woman who eats a lot of protein.'

'So it's not werewolves?' Ashley asked.

He looked at her in bewilderment. 'When did I say it was werewolves?'

'In the police station! The paper said 'Whitechapel Werewolves'.'

'The _paper_ said that.' The Doctor replied. 'I never said anything of the sort. And anyway, it's impossible that it would be a werewolf. There hasn't been a full moon.'

'Okay, so no werewolves.' Ashley sighed. 'What is it then?'

'I told you.' The Doctor replied. 'God you don't listen, do you?'

'I _am_ listening, but what I'm hearing is ridiculous! You can't just lick a random hair – which, for the record, is disgusting – and then decide whatever the hair came from is what took those girls! It's just jumping to conclusions!'

'So you think there's absolutely no connection with seven girls that have gone missing in seven days and sightings of huge black dogs which started seven days ago?'

Ashley looked at him. She searched for an answer and stubbornly crossed her arms. 'I just think you're going to need a bit more evidence than a wet dog hair.'

'I don't understand how you can be so sceptical about the whole thing after what we've been through.' The Doctor told her, genuinely bemused.

'Brain stealing psychos from the future and giant spiders from the past are one thing,' Ashley shrugged. 'But big alien dogs in _my_ hometown is just too far fetched. If there were stuff like that racing around, I think I would have noticed by now.'

'What about the Cyberman invasion?' The Doctor said, squatting down to examine the grass. 'Did you notice that?'

'Well yeah…'

'Well doesn't that prove that this kind of thing can happen here?'

'I suppose. But…'

'One thing you have to remember when you're travelling with me, is that things are never what they seem. There's always something else. It always goes deeper.'

Ashley watched him as he scanned the grass and looked away. 'But I'm not travelling with you, am I?'

The Doctor looked up at her in surprise. 'I uh…'

'Hey, who's that?' She interrupted, pointing across the field.

The Doctor followed her finger and rose to his feet. He squinted and scrunched his nose up to see through the light mist. There was a figure coming towards them slowly. Whoever it was appeared to be hunched over slightly and hobbling. The Doctor stepped forward, pushing his hands in his pockets. Ashley stood beside him in a similar stance, watching curiously.

'Do a lot of people come out on these fields?' the Doctor asked, watching the figure gradually get closer.

'Just kids normally,' Ashley replied. 'I don't think anyone does when it's been raining. Apart from us, apparently.'

'Excuse me!' The Doctor called, waving a hand. 'You there!'

The hobbling figure stopped momentarily, and then continued again. 'You shouldn't be out here…' A croaky, wavering voice replied. The Doctor and Ashley watched as an elderly woman shuffled out of the mist. Although she wasn't just elderly, she was _ancient_. Deep lines carved her face. Her eyes were sunken and her cheeks were hollow. Her hair was thin and pasted down onto her skull by the rain. She lifted a thin, frail, wavering hand and pointed to them. 'You shouldn't be out here.'

'I think it's you that shouldn't be out here, missus.' Ashley replied. 'You're going to catch pneumonia or something.'

'Who are you?' the Doctor asked, looking suspicious.

Ashley glanced to him and moved to the old woman, taking her frail arm. 'We should get her off the field. She'll catch her death out here.'

The old woman chuckled huskily. 'My death already caught _me_.'

Ashley raised an eyebrow. 'Okay, well come on. We'll get you back home and in front of the fire, huh? Nice cup of tea or something.'

'You should keep off the fields,' the woman repeated. 'I hear them growling.'

Ashley glanced to the Doctor nervously. The Doctor looked at the old woman in deep thought. 'I think she's a bit…' Ashley pointed to her temple and crossed her eyes.

'What growling?' the Doctor asked, moving towards the old woman and ignoring Ashley. 'What's on these fields?'

The old woman looked at him with rheumy, yellowed eyes. 'They lurk the fields. They stalk the lost. They steal your youth.'

Ashley tried to lead the old woman away. 'Doctor, she's going to catch something if she stays out here. We need to-'

He ignored her again. 'What's your name?'

The old woman blinked slowly. 'Victoria.' She said, and then lowered her head. 'I would like a cup of tea, if that's okay.'

'Victoria what?' the Doctor pressed, but apparently the old woman had said she was going to say.

Ashley stared at him with unease. 'That girls name was Victoria, wasn't it?' she almost whispered. 'It's just a coincidence, right?'

The Doctor looked at her grimly. 'There's no such thing as coincidences.'


	6. The Whole Truth

**Chapter 6**

**The Whole Truth**

Ashley stood at the window as the rain came down heavily. It had been raining non-stop all day and it was showing no sign of stopping. Ashley's mood was beginning to match the miserable weather. They had tried to find out where the old woman had lived, but either she didn't know or she was completely senile because she wouldn't tell them. In the end, they had to leave her at the police station. Tired and hungry, Ashley managed to persuade the Doctor to return to her house so she could rest. He had reluctantly agreed because now it was too dark to search the field anymore. After about half an hour though, he had dashed off to the Tardis claiming he needed to check something.

Ashley was watching the Tardis now, waiting for it to evaporate into thin air. There was a lump in her throat just at the thought of it disappearing. She had no doubts that after they had figured out just what was going on around here that he would leave, but a small part of her held onto the hope that he wouldn't. Or at least if he did, he would offer to take her with him.

But even if he did ask her to go with him, would she be able to? She hadn't thought about it. It was a big thing. But she doubted that she would be able to settle back into normal life now. Not after seeing what she had seen. Not after finding out what she could do. And plus, she _had_ lost her job…

Her abilities. In the drama she had almost forgotten about them. She looked away from the window, her eyes falling on a peach coloured candle on top of the small bookshelf. She looked at it for a moment, wondering. She narrowed her eyes and concentrated. Almost immediately she felt a warm sensation in her stomach.

Her concentration was broken by the sound of the back gate opening. She looked back through the blinds to see the Doctor returning up the path with his coat over his head. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ashley went to meet him in the kitchen.

'I don't think I've been anywhere where it rains as much as it does here.' The Doctor announced as he took off his coat and shook the rain off it. 'I should have brought my snorkel.'

Ashley chuckled at the idea of him in a snorkel and added, 'Don't forget the Speedos. Did you get what you went out for?'

'I just wanted to check something.' The Doctor replied. 'It's okay. It wasn't really important.'

Ashley put her hand on her hip. 'While you're under my roof tell me what's going on.' She said. 'What did you go back for?'

The Doctor cocked an eyebrow at her in amusement. 'Last I heard this wasn't going to be your roof for much longer.'

'What's with you having to remind me of the crap stuff every five minutes? Yes, I'm aware that I'm jobless. As soon as you've buggered off I can get on with looking for a new one.' She tried to hide the bitterness in her voice but failed.

'I was just doing a quick check to see if any Jildeon Hounds have been sold recently.' He passed her and headed into the living room.

'_Sold_?' Ashley asked, following him. 'What are you on about?'

'They're normally bought in pairs because they get lonely.' The Doctor went on, hanging his coat on the door and brushing it with his hand. 'This is going to get ruined…' he mumbled before continuing. 'You've got to have a licence for them because they grow to quite a size. More than three and you have to get checked up on every now and then to make sure you can look after them properly.'

'You've lost me.' Ashley said, shaking her head. 'How would you be able to check who has licences?'

The Doctor glanced at her. 'Google.'

'Google.'

'You're like a parrot sometimes.' He sat down on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table with a sigh. 'The details of licence holders is public information. But, according to trusty old Google, there's no one in this area with a licence. Which can only mean… Someone's illegally breeding Jildeon Hounds.'

'Which means you checking for licence holders was a waste of time.' Ashley passed him to sit on the couch, hitting his feet. He took them down off the table with a frown.

'Well… it's not entirely a waste of time. It didn't _help_, if that's what you mean.'

'Well what about the old woman?' Ashley shuddered at the thought of her. 'Do you really think that it was the young girl? Victoria Hepple?'

'It's possible.'

'Can those hounds make people age like that?'

'No.'

'So what are we going to do?'

The Doctor thought for a moment. 'Apart from wandering around the fields some more…' He paused, and then shrugged. 'You got Scrabble?'

* * *

Ashley had sickened herself on custard cream biscuits. She lay on the couch, head propped up on her hand, staring at her Scrabble letters without much interest. On the other side of the coffee table, the Doctor sat cross-legged with an expression of deep thought of his face while he examined his own letters. The TV was on quietly behind him but they had stopped watching a while ago.

'Too many Zs…' the Doctor muttered, tapping his lips with his finger. 'How can I make a word with all those Zs?'

Ashley yawned. 'I never pictured you as a Scrabble person, Doctor.'

'Anything to keep your brain going,' he replied, eyeing the board and then looking back to his letters. 'Ah-hah!' He quickly began placing letters on the board. Ashley leaned over to see what he was spelling.

'Zerazeel?' Ashley read with a frown. 'Oh shut up. That's not a word.'

'It is!' the Doctor insisted. 'Zerazeel is… How do I explain this? It's a kind of draft excluder for automatic doors on light spacecraft. It's a rubber seal that runs along the bottom…'

'How would I know what a Zerazeel is?' Ashley snorted. 'No way. Take it off. Plus, no names or brands.'

The Doctor sulked. 'It is a word.' He gathered the letters again. 'I let you have Hulk.'

Ashley shrugged. 'Well it's too late to take off now. That would mess up the whole board.' She smirked, watching him replace his letters. She wondered how long it had been since he had actually done something that wasn't running around chasing aliens. Even though she still didn't know him that well… heck, she knew nothing about him – seeing him sit there playing Scrabble just seemed out of character for him.

'Can I ask you something?' she asked, eyebrows knitted together slightly.

'Um hmm.' The Doctor replied, rearranging the letters on the little plastic stand.

'Why did you tell me you didn't find anything in the ship?'

The Doctor paused what he was doing briefly, but didn't look up. 'Because I didn't find anything.'

Ashley half laughed. 'Don't lie to a liar, Doctor.'

He looked up then, his expression apologetic. He didn't say anything for a few moments. 'You don't want to know what I found.' He told her. 'It would… You don't need to know.'

Ashley sat up; ignoring the whole packet of custard creams shifting in her stomach. 'If it affects me directly, I think I do need to know.'

The Doctor eyed her unsurely. 'Please. You're better off not knowing. Trust me.'

Ashley looked at him for a long time, and he held her gaze. Eventually, she looked away, chewing the inside of her cheek. 'Is it about what I can do?'

'Yes.'

'About how I can do it?'

'Yes.'

Ashley swallowed. 'It isn't because I have an overly evolved brain, is it?'

The Doctor didn't answer her. He went back to rearranging the letters. 'To be honest, it's not important how you can do the things you do, or why you can do the things you do. What's important is _what_ you can do.'

Ashley nodded gently and looked at him pointedly. 'Well if you know everything, what _can_ I do?'

He didn't look up. He opened his mouth to say something but then stopped, his eyebrows drawing together. He turned around and looked at the TV. Irritated that he was changing the subject, Ashley scowled but looked at the TV too.

'Turn it up.' The Doctor told her, waving a hand. 'Quickly!'

Ashley picked up the TV remote and turned it up a little. She sighed and listened to the newscaster.

'_We're getting reports of a young girl and a young man being attacked on the fields near Whitechapel by… a large animal. The young man is fine and is the one who raised the alarm, but so far there has been no sign of the girl…_'

The Doctor was on his feet and across the room before Ashley had a chance to blink. She got up and moved after him quickly.

'Wait!' she called. 'What are you doing? Where are you going?'

'We're going out to Whitechapel again.' He told her, pulling his coat on and heading for the door.

Ashley grabbed her trainers from beside the door, which the Doctor was already leaving, and pulled them on clumsily. 'Well hang on a minute!'

He was already dashing away down the path. Ashley stumbled after him, stamping her left foot to get her shoe on properly. She slammed the door behind her, immediately remembering that her keys were in the front room in her jacket pocket. The cold rain on her skin made her shiver instantly.

She ran after the Doctor muttering; 'This guy is going to be the death of me.'

* * *

_Ah I know I doubt the Doctor would ever play Scrabble lol... but I couldn't picture them just sitting doing nothing :p_

_And thanks everyone for your mint reviews! I checked my e-mails and was attacked by them lol! You're all immense :D_


	7. Whatever Happened to Chivalry?

**Chapter 7**

**Whatever Happened to Chivalry?**

'Inspector Morse,' The Doctor announced, holding the psychic paper in front of the first police officer her saw. 'Is the boy still around?'

The young woman looked at the Doctor in bemusement, her reflective jacket glowing in the headlights of the stationary cars. 'Um… yes sir. He's being questioned.'

'And whereabouts would that be?' the Doctor asked, looking around. There were three police cars and one 'Animal Control' van. Out on the field there were groups of officers with flashlights. One of the police dogs was barking.

The female officer looked to Ashley sceptically. 'I'm sorry, but I can't just let anyone walk in here.'

'Oh, it's okay,' the Doctor pushed the psychic paper in his pocket and pulled it out again, showing it to the woman. Only this time it said 'PC Pendrill'. 'She's doing undercover part-time.'

The female officer nodded. 'Oh right, I'm sorry.' She smiled at Ashley and stepped aside. 'Go on ahead.'

Ashley smiled and passed the cars, nervously glancing at the other police officers that watched them go by. She had to almost skip alongside the Doctor to keep up with him. 'This is stupid,' she whispered to him harshly. 'I've lived in this town my whole life! Someone is bound to notice that I'm the dense girl from the pub and not an undercover officer.'

'Well perhaps you're undercover in the pub,' the Doctor shrugged. 'If you're a good undercover officer, they won't know you're a police officer anyway.'

Before Ashley could argue more, they had reached another officer talking to a teenage boy. The teenager was wide eyed and shaking, casting uneasy glances out to the field every few seconds. The Doctor showed the psychic paper to the policeman talking to him.

'Inspector Morse. If it's okay I'd like to talk this young man.'

The policeman didn't even look at the paper. He shrugged his shoulders. 'Okay, mate.' He muttered, and sauntered off.

Disappointed, the Doctor watched him head off. 'He didn't even look.' He mumbled to Ashley, and then turned to the teenager. 'Hi there. I'm Inspector Morse.'

The teenager blinked at him. 'Like the uh… like the guy off TV?'

The Doctor beamed happily and turned to Ashley. 'First person to actually say something. I was starting to think I shouldn't have bothered.'

Ashley rolled her eyes at him. 'What happened then?' she asked the teenager.

'I've just told that guy everything.' He replied, pointing after the policeman. 'I just want to go back home.'

'Tell us what happened,' the Doctor said gently. 'And you can go straight home. I promise. What's you name?'

'Jason.' The teen shuddered. 'Jason Smith.'

'Smith?' the Doctor nodded. 'I was a Smith once.' Jason and Ashley glanced to him curiously but he continued. 'So what happened out here, Jason?'

'I uh… me and Claire were heading home,' he explained, shuffling uncomfortably from foot to foot. 'We'd been drinking and…'

'How old are you?' Ashley asked, narrowing her eyes.

'Nineteen.' Jason replied with a frown. 'So is Claire, so it's not as if we were doing anything illegal or anything.'

'Nineteen.' Ashley mused. 'That's older than the other girls.'

'Indeed it is.' The Doctor nodded, equally as thoughtful. 'Go on.'

'Well… we were just passing when Claire said she saw something on the field. I didn't want to go down there because I heard about all those giant dog sightings and people are saying that it's panthers or something… So I was like 'c'mon Claire,' and she was like 'no way Jason stop being so soft' and before I could stop her she was off running across the field laughing.' He stopped to clear his throat. 'It was still really misty and I kind of lost her. I could hear her laughing though and I was telling her it wasn't funny, and then I heard her scream. I shouted of her and ran towards the sound of her voice but I uh… I heard this growling. Then I saw these eyes… bright red eyes shining through the mist. I got freaked out.' He lowered his head in embarrassment. 'She was still yelling for me when I ran back to the street. I used the pay phone about a street away to call the police because my battery on my phone is dead and when I came back I couldn't hear her anymore.' Jason looked up with wet eyes. 'She's going to be okay though, right?'

The Doctor and Ashley exchanged a glance.

'I'm sure she will, Jason.' The Doctor told him. 'Go get yourself home. I'm pretty sure someone will be in touch.'

Without hesitation, Jason turned and hurried off away from the congregation of police cars. The Doctor and Ashley watched him go.

'Poor guy.' Ashley mumbled. 'I bet he was terrified.'

'Terrified?' the Doctor echoed. '_Pfft_. Whatever happened to chivalry?'

Ashley followed him down the short but steep bank onto the field. Somewhere off to the right in the mist, there were white lights and a barking dog. The Doctor seemed to be heading in the opposite direction.

'The dog seems to have something over there.' Ashley pointed out. 'Shouldn't we really look over there?'

'If that dog had picked up a scent of a Jildeon Hound, it wouldn't go in pursuit. It'll be heading in the opposite direction.'

'That doesn't really give me much incentive to help you look for it then, does it?'

'Them.' The Doctor corrected. 'Look for _them_.'

'There's more than one?'

'Oh definitely.'

'Fantastic.' Ashley mumbled sarcastically.

The Doctor seemed to know where he was going so Ashley followed without questioning him anymore. She felt like all she had done was ask questions since they got back. Of course, he hadn't answered many of them.

'So…' Ashley sighed after getting a little tired of the silence. 'Let me see if I've figured this out from your useless crypticness.'

The Doctor glanced over his shoulder to her, smiling in amusement. 'Come on then.'

'Right… these Jildeon Hound things need owners, am I right?'

'Yes.'

'So… whoever is owning them is sending them out to look for young girls, am I right?'

'Uh-huh.'

'And whoever wants the young girls is somehow making them into _old_ girls before letting them go.'

'Spot on!' the Doctor cried, whirling to point a finger at her. 'I was starting to think you would never catch on.'

'So what can do that? Age people like that, I mean.'

'Good question. I was half expecting you to say that it's impossible again.' He took in a deep breath. 'Well to be honest, I don't know.'

Ashley rubbed her face with both hands. 'How is it a good question if you don't even know the answer?'

'It's a good question because that's the answer we're looking for.'

'You make no sense.'

The Doctor shrugged. 'A lot of people tell me that.' He slowed a little, squinting through the mist ahead. 'Oh hello there… what do we have here?'

They both stopped and looked ahead. A dark outline of a building was embedded in the grey fog. Ashley shuddered. 'Creepy farmhouse, of course. Where else would the scary stuff be living?'

The Doctor looked at it for a moment, and then nudged her with his shoulder. 'Come on then.' he smiled, and headed towards it.

Ashley watched as he grew fainter through the mist. 'If something tries to eat me I'm going to make sure you get eaten first!' she called, and then jogged to catch up.

Something growled in the surrounding mist, but she didn't hear.


	8. The Devil's Pitchfork

**Chapter 8**

**The Devil's Pitchfork**

The farmhouse looked like something straight out of some horror B-movie. Most of the tiles had slid off the roof, most of the windows were shattered, the door looked ready to practically fall off. There were bits of debris all around it that had probably fallen off in bad weather. The place had obviously been uninhabited for years.

'Don't look like anyone's home.' Ashley shrugged, peering into one of the dirt streaked windows. Inside there were a few bits of furniture, degraded with time. The Doctor peered over the top of her head. 'Hellooo?' Ashley called. 'Avon calling.'

'I think you're right,' The Doctor said, pressing his face up against the glass and scrunching his face. 'Looks empty to me. Doesn't look like anyone's been here for years, in fact.'

'Dead end?'

The Doctor moved away from the window and sighed. 'Dead end.' He confirmed.

'I know there was a uh… a bunch of stables around here somewhere.' Ashley said, looking around but unable to see anything apart from fog. 'But it's going to be impossible to find at night.'

The Doctor looked grim. 'That girl might not have time to wait.'

Ashley sighed lightly. 'I know.'

They stood together, looking around.

'But if we go off looking we might get lost,' Ashley told the Doctor. 'And if we're lost out here and one of those hounds jump out at us…'

The Doctor cleared his throat and made a point of flattening down the front of his coat. 'Yeah. Yeah you're right. It's too dangerous.'

'We'll head back then?'

'Yeah we'll head back.' The Doctor glanced towards the farmhouse. 'As soon as I just check something out.'

Ashley groaned. 'Every time you say that we almost get killed! Can't we just wait until morning? There's nothing here.'

The Doctor already had his hand on the door handle. 'If there's nothing here we don't have anything to worry about, do we?' he half smiled. 'And anyway, I promised nothing would-'

The door burst open suddenly and the Doctor fell onto his backside in surprise. Ashley yelled out his name, and then ran to him. She saw the glint of metal and skidded to a halt, eyes wide. The tip of the pitchfork was mere centimetres from her neck.

'What the hell do you think you're doin' snoopin' around my house?' the scrawny old man barked, his thick eyebrows drawn together. 'You two are not tryin' to sell me nothing, are you?'

'Whoa!' Ashley cried, raising her hands. 'Hey, mister… can you put the pitchfork down please?'

'Not 'till you tell me what the hell you think you're doin' around here.'

The Doctor warily got to his feet, not taking his eyes from the old man. 'We're with the police.' He lied, convincingly. 'We're investigating the disappearance of eight teenage girls. One of them went missing just a few hours ago.'

The old man's yellowed eyes flicked between Ashley and the Doctor. 'You're not accusin' me of anything, are you?'

'As long as you've got the pitchfork,' Ashley told him. 'We're not going to say anything you don't want us to. I'll sing for you if you want.'

The old man looked her up and down. 'You sure you're not trying to sell me anything?'

'No.' The Doctor told him. 'Put the pitchfork down please.'

The old man hesitated, and then lowered the pitchfork. He planted it in the ground with a quick and hard movement and leaned on the handle. 'I don't like sales people.' He told them.

'Remind me never to use the Avon joke again.' Ashley mumbled, moving back a few steps.

'You've heard about the missing girls then?' the Doctor asked him.

'Yeah.' The old man replied. 'I make my way over to town on Monday mornin' to get the paper. Though it was only six girls last I heard.'

'It's eight now.' The Doctor replied, eyeing the farmhouse. 'So you live here then?'

The old man stiffened and looked offended. 'Lived here my whole life. Not about to leave because it's a little old.'

'A little _dilapidated_ more like.' Ashley mumbled.

The Doctor ignored Ashley and stepped forward. 'Have you seen anything… weird? Like…' He paused, searching for words. 'Have you read about the Whitechapel Werewolves in the paper?'

The old man looked between the two of them again suspiciously. 'You're not the police. You don't act like police. What you both really up to?'

'We're looking for the girls.' The Doctor told him. 'That's all.'

The old man hesitated, and then sighed. 'Well, if you're asking about those dogs everyone's talking about then the answer is no, I haven't seen them. I haven't seen no girls around here either. Now if you both don't mind, it's the middle of the night and I was sleeping before you two turned up and yelled me out of bed.'

With a grimace, the old man pulled the pitchfork out of the soil, causing the Doctor and Ashley to move back a few steps.

'I don't appreciate you coming around here.' He said. 'Don't come back.'

With that, he turned and disappeared inside. As he slammed the door shut, a tile slipped off the roof and smashed on the ground. The Doctor and Ashley looked at the closed door for a moment, before turning and heading away.

'I didn't realise I lived in the 1700s.' Ashley sighed, still a little shaken.

The Doctor glanced over his shoulder. 'We're coming back here.' He said.

'What?' Ashley hissed. 'He'll turn us into country bumpkin kebabs if we come back here. Why would we come back anyway?'

'Because he's lying.' The Doctor replied. 'Remember what you said; 'you can't lie to a liar'? Well you can't lie to me either.'

Ashley glanced back to the farmhouse, but it was already starting to disappear through the mist. 'So what, are we coming back in the morning? What are we going to say?'

'I'll think of something.' The Doctor replied. 'I always have a plan.'

'I know you do.'

They smiled at each other, but a sudden scream pierced the mist. They both turned and sprinted back towards the farmhouse. They burst through the door and skidded to a stop, the Doctor having to pinwheel to avoid falling on top of the bloody old man.

'Oh god…' Ashley mumbled into her hand. 'Is he…?'

The Doctor stooped by the old man and checked his pulse. 'Yep.' He replied, eyeing their surroundings. 'And we weren't gone a minute, which means whatever did this is still around.'

'Can we run away now then?' Ashley asked, feeling that pack of custard creams threatening to reappear.

The Doctor stood up again, slowly moving across the floor. The boards beneath his feet groaned. Still in the doorway, Ashley glanced out into the misty night, and then closed the door. She moved after the Doctor on her tiptoes. She wasn't surprised to see him approaching a rotted looking wooden door that so happened to be the creepiest part of the creepy farmhouse. She tugged on his arm and shook her head. He frowned and pulled his arm away. They crept towards the door and the Doctor pushed it open. It creaked slow and noisily. Ashley could feel hear heart thudding in her throat.

'It's too dark.' Ashley whispered.

'Don't worry.' He replied. His hand found hers in the darkness and she squeezed it tightly. He began to descend the staircase. Ashley swallowed hard, wondered how she could trust a stranger as much as she trusted the Doctor, and followed him into the blackness.


	9. Asking For Trouble

**Chapter 9**

**Asking for Trouble**

The Doctor could sense Ashley's fear. It didn't help that she could influence everyone else with whatever she was feeling. If he hadn't been around for as long as he had, he would have probably turned and took off across the field screaming like a girl. But over the years he knew how to control himself. Well, he knew how to control his _fear_, anyway. There had been a few cases when he had let his anger get the better of him.

Still, he knew that holding her hand was making her feel a little better, so he gave it another quick squeeze as they moved through the darkness. He could hear her light breath, but for once she was staying silent. He wondered how long that would last for.

They finally reached the bottom. Ashley was expecting more steps so she stumbled at the bottom. At the some of her cursing lightly, something moved in the darkness. There was a light _clink_ of metal on metal. Ashley gripped the Doctor's arm. She was hurting him, but he didn't want to tell her that.

'It's okay.' he told her in a hushed voice. He felt along the wall beside him, through dust and dampness. His fingers found the light switch and he flicked it. For a moment, he thought nothing was going to happen, but then slowly, a fluorescent tube light buzzed into life.

All five hounds barked and growled as the lights flickered on.

'Holy sh-' Ashley began, horrified.

'It's okay,' the Doctor told her, feeling a sudden jolt of her fear that made him gasp. 'They're in cages.'

The hounds growled, thick strings of saliva dripping from their teeth filled mouths. Their red eyes glowed as they glared hungrily at both the Doctor and Ashley. One threw itself against the side of the cage and it rattled noisily. Ashley yelped and tugged on the Doctor's arm.

'I want to go.' She said flatly.

The Doctor shook his head. 'It's fine. They're not as strong as they look. They won't be able to get out of the cages unless someone opens them.' He moved towards the nearest cage. The hound inside went crazy, barking and hurling itself off the sides. The Doctor looked at it sympathetically. 'Aw now look at you.' He said in a baby-voice. 'Who stuck you in this horrible cage, eh? Someone mean I bet…yeah.'

Ashley stood at the bottom of the stairs with her eyebrows almost touching her hairline. She was stunned into silence. The hounds in the cages were about five times the size of an average dog; with lumpy protruding spines and thick, ebony black fur. Their thick claws – almost as thick as their teeth – clicked on the floor of the cage. The one the Doctor was talking to, or cooing at rather, barked loudly in his face.

'Doctor…' Ashley said warily.

'Poor things.' The Doctor sighed. 'I bet you wouldn't believe that Jildeon Hounds aren't vicious.'

'Yeah I bet they're soft as toothless kittens on a bed of candyfloss,' Ashley replied, glancing around nervously. 'Pardon me if I don't want to go up to one of them and stick my head through the bars.'

The Doctor put his glasses on and examined the hound without getting too close to the cage. The hound paced, obviously highly agitated. 'Looks like they're tagged.' He mused.

Ashley finally plucked up the courage to join his side and peered warily at the hound. 'How?'

The Doctor pointed. 'You see that little metal bead on her ear? Like an earring.'

Ashley squinted and caught a glimpse of what he was talking about. 'So, it's like a tracker?'

'I can't tell from here. I need a closer look.'

'At least wait until I'm across the field before you open that.' Ashley warned, wide eyed.

'I'm not going to open it,' the Doctor frowned. 'What's with you thinking I have a death wish? You really have no trust in me at all, do you?'

'Oh I trust you,' Ashley replied. 'But you still seem like a complete nutjob. No offence.'

The Doctor frowned sulkily. 'None taken.' He turned his attention back to the cage. 'If I can just get a look at that tag then maybe I can figure out just who attached it…' He squinted harder and moved forward another step. The hound lunged at him and he moved back again. 'Calm down girl.' He murmured.

Ashley noticed something across the room and felt the colour draining from her face. 'Uh, Doctor?'

'Who stuck you in that nasty cage, huh?' the Doctor was still sweet-talking the hound. 'C'mon you can tell the Doctor…'

Ashley tugged on his coat. 'Doctor.' She repeated.

'Hang on a second. I think I can see…'

Ashley grabbed him by his head and turned it sharply. He looked irritated, but when he saw what she was looking at his expression looked surprised, then alarmed. There was a cage at the end that stood open, the padlock lying on the floor. The hound inside was crouched low to the ground, snarling angrily. It's muzzle was coated with blood.

'You think that one…' Ashley swallowed hard.

'Got the old man?' The Doctor also swallowed, his throat clicking. 'Looks likely.'

The hound crept out of the cage, never taking its reddened eyes from the pair. The Doctor moved in front of Ashley slightly.

'No sudden movements.' He told her quietly. 'You try running and it'll catch you before you've even managed to turn around.'

Ashley felt a sudden warmth in her belly. 'I can deal with it.' she said quietly.

The Doctor shook his head. 'No you can't.'

'I can.' Ashley insisted. 'Remember what I did to that big spider thing? I can do that again.'

'Look at this place,' the Doctor hissed, annoyed by the suggestion. 'You try and burn anything and you'll bring the whole place down, including us. Don't be like a child with a new truck, running things over just because you can. There's always another way.'

'Well you better think of another way fast,' Ashley hissed back. 'Because if not we're going to be squealing chew toys.'

'I'm thinking,' the Doctor frowned. 'I'm thinking.'

'Well think _faster_.'

The Doctor mused over the possibilities. If it pounced, they wouldn't have much of a chance. If they turned and ran back up the stairs it would probably catch them before they even _saw_ halfway, let alone reached it. The only other door in the cellar was behind the hound. They could try and get behind the other cages, but it would be risky to get too close. The only other option was… well, as much as he hated it… Ashley's suggestion.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the hound barked loudly, silencing him. It was at that moment he knew something was wrong. It should have attacked by now. But it wasn't, and it wasn't attacking because…

'Well well well. What have you got there, sweetie?'

The Doctor and Ashley turned and looked up the stairs, both of them raising their hands to the bright light that shone in their eyes. The hounds in the cages stopped barking and sat, apart from the one that was out of its cage which was still growling. The person with the torch descended the stairs slowly, the sound of heels clicking on the steps.

'Get into the cage.' A female voice ordered. 'Or I'll have Mary-Sue rip your throats out.'

Ashley looked to the Doctor nervously. He didn't look nervous though, just angry. He nodded to Ashley and slowly they backed towards the cage. The hound – named Mary-Sue apparently – also backed up to give them room to go into the cage, but it still growled with its hackles up.

'Pick up the padlock.' The female voice ordered.

The Doctor picked it up and the two of them stepped into the cage.

'Close the door and put the padlock on.'

The Doctor glared at the woman, who was still just a silhouette behind the light of the torch, and closed the door. He put on the padlock. The hound sat down slowly and stopped growling, but it still watched them.

'Who are you?' the Doctor demanded. 'Why have you been taking teenage girls? What have you been doing in here?'

'Now now,' the woman said, amusement in her voice. 'I don't think you're in quite the position to be asking the questions.' The torch flicked off and the woman came down the rest of the steps. She emerged under the strip light on the ceiling and grinned at the Doctor and Ashley, revelling in the disbelief on their faces.

She looked no older than twenty-three, with luxurious blonde hair, huge blue eyes and full red lips. She was slender and tall. Her clingy, strappy red dress stopped mid thigh. She grinned at the Doctor and Ashley, and flicked her hair over her shoulder.

'Now then.' she smiled. 'Would you please tell me why you're sneaking around my beauty parlour?'


	10. Beauty and the Beasts

**Chapter Ten**

**Beauty and the Beasts**

The woman grinned at them with pearly white teeth and evil eyes. She looked like she had just jumped from the pages of Vogue magazine and seeing her in the dark and dank surroundings of the cellar made Ashley feel light headed. Everything had just gone from crazy to surreal. A cellar full of cages alien hounds she could just about handle. Miss Universe waltzing in was just too much.

'I'll ask again.' The woman sighed, resting her perfectly manicured hands on her hip. 'What are you doing in my cellar?'

The Doctor was about to answer, but the sound banging stopped him. He looked towards the door on the back wall and knew instantly that the girl, and quite possibly the other girls, was behind it.

'Is that you lady?' a young, frightened voice sobbed through the door. 'Please let me go!'

The woman turned her head to the door impatiently. 'Oh shut up you little skank.'

'Claire?' the Doctor called out. 'My name's the Doctor. I'm here to take you home, okay? So don't worry.'

The girl behind the door began crying hysterically. 'Oh please get me out of here! Please get me out! She's insane! She's got all these big dogs and-'

'Shut the hell up!' the woman yelled. She glared at the Doctor and crossed her arms beneath her bust. 'Oh please. He's locked in a cage for God's sake.'

The girl behind the door let out a weak wail, and fell silent. The Doctor moved to the bars of the cage. 'Who are you?' he demanded.

The blonde woman grinned. 'I could just go ahead and give you my number if you like.'

Ashley scowled and took a step forward. 'He doesn't go for slappers.'

The Doctor put his hand in front of her and shook his head. 'Let me deal with this.' He told her quietly.

'I'm sorry,' the blonde woman said patronisingly. 'You must be into the kind of girls who don't shave their armpits.'

Ashley's mouth dropped open. 'I _do_ shave my arm-'

'Tell me who you are!' The Doctor demanded impatiently.

The blonde turned her steely blue eyes back on him and half smiled. 'I like to be called Lily.' She said, examining her fingernails.

'Where did you get all these hounds from?' the Doctor asked.

'You know, it wouldn't kill you to ask nice.'

'I'm not nice to murderers.'

The two of them glared at each other for a moment. Ashley stood back silently, wondering if she was going to die in a stinking alien dog cage.

'I'm not a _murderer_.' Lily snapped. 'I just… shorten their life a little to lengthen my own. It's not as if these kids have anything going for them anyway. The majority of them were _drunk_ or _stoned_ when my hounds picked them up anyway.'

'That old woman was Victoria Hepple then.' Ashley mused.

Lily snorted. 'Scruffy _and_ smart.' She commented nastily. 'You'll die a spinster.'

Ashley scowled. She felt that heat in her stomach again. She could toast that bitch where she stood. She glared, feeling warmer.

'Ashley.' The Doctor said her name gently, but firmly.

She glanced to him, brow still furrowed, but relaxed.

Lily looked at the thin silver watch around her slim wrist. 'Well I guess you're both lucky. You're in time to see me enjoy my beauty session.' She winked at the Doctor and then sauntered towards the door on the back wall. The hound, Mary-Sue, remained staring at the Doctor and Ashley.

Lily hauled open the door and a young, blonde haired girl stumbled out, hitting the floor on her side. The Doctor gritted his teeth. Ashley put her hands on the bars, but quickly snatched them back when the hound growled at her.

'Come on you little skank,' Lily hissed, hauling the girl up by her hair. The girl squealed in pain.

'Lily,' the Doctor snarled, trying to suppress his mounting rage. 'Don't do this. If you stop now, I'll let you move on without punishment. I only give one chance.'

Lily grinned broadly, seemingly able to restrain the young girl without much effort. 'And what are you going to do?' she smirked. 'You're a _Doctor_, right? You going to give me a botched nose job?'

The Doctor glared. 'I'm warning you.'

Lily laughed harshly. 'Whatever.'

The Doctor and Ashley watched helplessly as Lily grabbed the girl by her cheeks and forced her to make an o with her mouth. The girl sobbed as a greyish mist floated from her open mouth and into Lily's. The Doctor and Ashley watched in horror as the young girl turned into a young woman, a middle aged woman, an elderly woman…

'Oh my god…' Ashley mumbled.

Lily let go of the frail old woman and coughed violently. She hit herself in her chest a couple of times with her fist and managed to compose herself, wiping under her eyes carefully. 'Oh,' she croaked. 'Oh she was a harsh one.'

The old woman dropped to the floor. From where the Doctor and Ashley were, it was hard to tell if she was still alive. The Doctor stared at the unconscious woman, his mouth ajar in horror.

Lily ran her hands through her hair. 'Oh I always feel high as a kite after doing that. It's amazing.'

'What… How did you do that?' Ashley stammered.

'She's a Leech.' The Doctor said in a flat voice.

'Oh now come on.' Lily frowned. 'That's a very derogatory term for us. The correct term is Sicloid.'

'They suck the life out of young beings to lengthen their own,' the Doctor explained. 'Because they're an arrogant and vain species, and detest the idea of growing old.'

'Can you blame me?' Lily replied, looking at the old woman on the floor in disgust. 'Look at that. It's foul. Who would be able to get up in the morning and look at _that_?'

'I wouldn't be able to get up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror if I did that to a nineteen year old girl.' Ashley replied.

Lily looked at her sharply. 'Excuse me?'

Ashley frowned. 'What?'

'What did you just say?' Lily marched to the cage, her eyes wild.

'I said I wouldn't be able to look at-'

'No, the _age_,' Lily snapped. 'How old did you say she was?'

The Doctor laughed humourlessly. 'Oh that's ironic.'

'What's ironic?' Ashley frowned.

'At least I think it's ironic,' the Doctor mused. 'I never know which context to use it in…' He turned his steely gaze on Lily, who was looking uncomfortable. 'Lily here hasn't taken any girls older than seventeen. That's because the remaining years of a seventeen year old is just the amount to last her twenty-four hours. The older they are, the less time she has to benefit from their youth.' The Doctor leaned forward and pressed his face against the bars, ignoring the growling hound. 'You're either going to have to find yourself another girl within a couple of hours, or you're going to be all skin a bones.'

Lily's jaw was working behind her lips. Her eyes flicked between the Doctor and Ashley and she swallowed. 'Well I guess I'm just going to have to balance it out by taking her.' She spat, nodding to Ashley.

'You touch me and I'll rip your extensions out you cow.' Ashley hissed.

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders. 'Go ahead.' He moved away to the other side of the cage, pushing his hands into his pockets.

Ashley turned and stared at him in disbelief. 'Doctor!'

The Doctor ignored her and nodded to Lily. 'Go on then.' He raised his hands. 'I'm not going to do anything.'

Lily looked dubious for a moment. She clicked her fingers to the hound and it instantly stood and bared its teeth. 'You try anything,' she said. 'And Mary-Sue will-'

'Tear me limb from limb,' the Doctor sighed. 'Blah blah blah, yeah I get it.'

Lily moved forward, pulling the key out from the front of her dress. Eyeing the Doctor, she unlocked the padlock and removed it. She pulled open the door. 'Get out.' She demanded.

Ashley looked at the Doctor. 'You can't be serious…'

The Doctor glanced away, his expression unchanging. Shocked, Ashley turned to Lily. She was tapping her foot impatiently.

'Don't make me send Mary-Sue in to get you, sweetheart.'

Ashley glanced once more to the Doctor. She gritted her teeth. 'Fine.' She scowled, and stepped out of the cage. Lily seized her arm instantly and pulled closed the cage door over, not bothering to replace the padlock. Ashley struggled, but the woman was a hell of a lot stronger than she looked. Ashley felt the woman's strong fingers on her cheeks, forcing her to open her mouth.

'Doctor!' Ashley yelled, panicked. '_Help me_!'

The Doctor watched from the cage, not moving, not speaking.

Ashley felt the warm sensation in her stomach. Her skin felt like it was tightening. She waited for the Doctor to stop it, but he didn't move.

He didn't even batter an eyelid.

* * *

_Arg, only two more chapters of this one to go :p Thanks to everyone who's reading, although you might possibly have to wait a couple of days for the conclusion. Emphasis on the _may. _It depends if I get paid or not lol! (that sounded random... i'm supposed to be going away lol)_


	11. Ashes to Ashes

**Chapter Eleven**

**Ashes to Ashes**

_It hurts…_ Ashley thought, screwing her eyes up at the pain. Her throat felt constricted and her diaphragm felt stretched. Despite the increasingly stinging sensation in every part of her, she still managed to desperately wonder why the Doctor was letting this happen to her. She thought he had something planned, but he wasn't doing anything.

Apart from watching her die.

Lily's perfume smelled like strawberries. It was a strange thing to be smelling, and also a strange thing to pick up on, but Ashley's mind was whirling. She was getting weaker, and her thoughts were getting more irrational. As she grew dizzier, she thought she heard the Doctor's voice.

Lily suddenly let out a cry and her grip on Ashley abruptly loosened. Ashley felt herself falling backwards and she landed hard on her back. There was a rush of warmth through her and she gasped for breath.

'_It burns_!' Lily shrieked, grabbing at her throat. '_It burns!'_

The hounds started barking and throwing themselves against their cages. Mary-Sue, the hound who was currently _out_ of its cage, barked loudly. Ashley glanced around at the sound of a cage door banging open. The Doctor stood beside it, his eyes on the hound.

'C'mon girl,' he cooed, patting his thighs. 'C'mon.'

Still weak, Ashley could barely lift her head. 'Doctor…?' she mumbled.

Mary-Sue growled, hackles up and lips curled back. The Doctor continued to call it. Lily was writhing on the floor, wailing in a frenzy. Ashley could barely move, but she felt the rush of air beside her head as Mary-Sue sprinted past her, heading straight for the Doctor.

The Doctor's eyes widened at the sight of the hound tearing towards him, but he managed to duck and dodge quickly out of the way of the snarling, slobbering animal. It hurtled past him and into the cage. Quick as a flash, the Doctor slammed the iron cage door shut and attached the padlock just as the hound managed to turn and charge him again. It hit the cage door with a yelp.

'Well then,' the Doctor breathed, wiping his brow and breathing fairly heavily. 'For one horrible moment I didn't think that was going to work there.' He moved to Ashley's hand and stooped beside her. 'Are you okay?'

Ashley still couldn't move much. 'You're a… you're a mean… horrible person… you know that?'

The Doctor half smiled at her, and brushed her hair from her face. 'You'll be fine.'

His expression changed as he looked across the room to Lily, who was sitting with her back to them, cradling her face and sobbing. He rose to his feet, his expression grim, and approached her.

'I gave you a choice.' He told her. 'If you hadn't killed that girl, I would have let you go.'

'I had to!' Lily barked, but her voice sounded different. 'You just don't get it, do you Doctor? Do you know how long I've been around? Would you be able to comprehend just how long I've been around?'

'I've been around a long time myself.'

Lily released a short, harsh laugh. 'And I bet you have, Doctor. I bet you have.' She turned and glared at him, although her skin was no longer smooth and her lips were no longer full and her eyes were no longer shiny and deep blue. She had the face of a ninety-year-old woman, and the Doctor could see it getting older. 'You're a clever man. A _scheming _man. I should have seen that when I first set eyes on you.'

The Doctor looked at her solemnly. Behind him, Ashley found the energy to prop herself up on her elbows.

'What is she then?' Lily barked, nodding towards Ashley. 'You knew that was going to happen. You know what she is. So what is she?'

The Doctor didn't respond.

'You're not going to answer a dying woman's final question?' Lily hissed.

'You've been dead for a long time.' The Doctor replied flatly.

Lily wheezed and coughed. Her skin was frail and wrinkled. She looked like she was having difficulty holding her head up to speak to him. 'You think you're such a good man. Such a righteous man. But I know, Doctor… I can _see_. You have your secrets. You have your dark side.'

The Doctor narrowed his eyes briefly.

Noticing this, Lily smirked. She looked to Ashley, who was watching the scene unfold curiously. 'He'll let you down.' Lily told her, eyes full of life despite her dying body. 'The way he lets everyone down.'

The Doctor flinched and frowned, troubled. Lily released one final, wheezing laugh, and then slumped over onto the floor, barely anything but skin and bones. The hounds in their cages lowered their heads and whimpered. The Doctor swallowed hard, looking down at Lily's body. Ashley stared at him, waiting for him to speak or to at least turn around. Eventually, he did turn. He looked a little pale.

'Can we leave now?' Ashley asked, her voice husky.

The Doctor hesitated, rubbing his jaw, and then nodded. 'Yes. Yes we can leave now.' He moved to her side and helped her to her feet. She stumbled a little and then draped her arms around his shoulders. Silently, the ascended the stairs, leaving the two lifeless, withered bodies and caged hounds behind them.

* * *

They crossed the field in silence. Dawn was just beginning to break. Orange rays shone through gaps in the mist. The sun felt warm on their backs. The Doctor was quiet and brooding. Ashley was slowly regaining her strength. Eventually she could let go of him and walk along on her own.

'What about those hounds?' Ashley asked quietly as the street came into view. One or two police cars were still there.

'They'll be found.' The Doctor replied. 'They'll be dealt with.'

Ashley half frowned. She hesitated, before asking, 'What am I then?'

The Doctor glanced to her. 'I'm sorry?'

'Don't play stupid with me, Doctor,' Ashley sighed. 'I know you know what I am. I can also understand that you'll have a good reason for not telling me, but I would like to know.'

The Doctor looked at her for a moment, and then glanced away across the field. He didn't reply. Ashley didn't press him for an answer.

They walked back to Ashley's house in silence.


	12. Abandoned

**Chapter Twelve**

**Abandoned**

It seemed to take forever to get back to Ashley's street. The birds were singing noisily – the way they always did at first light. They had talked only briefly. The Doctor was pensive and Ashley was tired and aching. All she wanted was a handful of aspirin and a huge cup of coffee. Then she would be ready for anything.

Finally they came to Ashley's garden and they walked morosely down the path. 'You want a coffee?' Ashley asked, taking her keys out of her pocket. 'Although I'm not sure how much is left. We kind of demolished it last time we were here. But it's getting on now. I suppose in a couple of hours the corner shop will be open and I could go and get some…' She trailed off as she glanced around. 'Doctor?'

He was gone.

Ashley felt her heart leap into her throat. She rushed back down the garden path and looked both ways down the street.

No sign.

'Doctor!' she yelled.

Where had he gone? Was he leaving? Just like that? How could he leave just like that? After everything… After what had just happened! He didn't even say _goodbye_!

Ashley quickly went from stricken to annoyed. She frowned, clenching her teeth. Then she remembered where he had left the Tardis and immediately knew she had an advantage. To get to it, he would have to circle the street and walk up the back alley, whereas she would only have to go through her house.

She ran back to the door, fumbling to get it open. She managed eventually, and slammed it behind her. She ignored Manny yelling for her to keep it down and raced through the kitchen and out the back door. She felt a rush when she saw the Tardis standing beyond her back gate. She fumbled with the catch on the gate, cursing at her stupid clumsy fingers and finally barrelled out into the back alley. Looking up and down it, she saw it was deserted.

'Sloppy, Doctor…' she mumbled, moving towards the Tardis. 'Very sloppy.'

She tried the door, but it wouldn't budge. She contemplated the fact that he could be already inside, but she doubted that. He would have been gone already if he had. With a sigh, she turned and leaned against the doors. As soon as she did, the Doctor turned into the alley, fiddling with the key in his hand. Ashley watched him get closer, and then crossed her arms over her chest.

'Ah-hem.' She broadcasted loudly.

The Doctor stopped in his tracks and looked up, surprised. 'I uh… How did you…'

Ashley marched towards him frowning, and then terrier-slapped him with both hands for a moment. 'You knob!' she yelled at him. 'You were just going to leave? Without saying bye?'

The Doctor shielded himself by raising his arm and ducking his head. 'It would have been easier if I'd just gone!' he insisted. 'Easier for both of us.' She readjusted his coat when she stopped hitting him. 'You knew I was leaving.'

Ashley sulked. 'Yeah, well. I didn't appreciate you leaving without saying goodbye.'

The Doctor placed his hands on her shoulders. 'I've left a lot of people in my life,' he told her. 'And it doesn't get any easier. The only part of it that can be made a little easier is by me just leaving. No teary goodbyes. It's easier for me.'

Ashley swallowed and looked down at the tarmac. 'So what are you going to do now? Just fly around on your own?'

The Doctor scrunched his nose briefly. 'Ah I don't know. Probably find some mess to get myself stuck into.' He offered a smile, but it faded quickly.

'What about me?' Ashley asked quietly. 'The things I can do. You were just going to leave me without telling me?'

The Doctor looked at her and said nothing.

'Yeah. Right.' Ashley nodded. 'I get it.' She backed away out of his hands and shrugged her shoulders. 'Well if you want to go on forever on your own, that's up to you. You'll always be lonely if you don't make the effort, Doctor.' She nodded to him as she headed back to her gate. 'It was nice knowing you.'

The Doctor watched after her sadly. She didn't look back over her shoulder as she disappeared through the back door, closing it noisily behind her. The Doctor cast his eyes down to the tarmac, took in a deep breath, and moved towards the Tardis.

Halfway through unlocking the door, however, he heard Ashley's back door reopening and her angry voice filling the air.

'You were just going to _leave_?' she demanded, storming towards him. 'What kind of guy are you? You could have at least came back and knocked on my door and apologised and then explained again that it was all for the best and that you at least enjoyed my company!' She slapped him on the shoulder again. 'Is that too much to ask?'

The Doctor stared at her, completely bewildered. 'What?'

Ashley frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. 'Are you going to ask me then?'

The Doctor blinked at her. 'What?'

She shoved him, annoyed. 'Don't play stupid. I know you want to ask me. So ask.'

The Doctor blinked again and cleared his throat. 'Uh… okay. Um…' He gestured to the Tardis. 'Do you want to come with me?'

Ashley lifted her head a little and said, 'No.'

'What?'

Ashley looked at him for a moment, and then a smile crept on her face. 'God you're so gullible!' she laughed. 'You should have seen your face!'

'Um… so…' The Doctor frowned in complete puzzlement. He scratched his head. 'Does that mean you're…'

'Coming? Hell yeah!' She patted the Tardis. 'Open her up then.'

Mostly out of confusion, the Doctor opened the door and allowed her to go inside. He glanced around once, and then followed her in. When he looked around for her, she was already by the controls and grinning at him. Seeing her there looking so happy… he just had to smile back.

'So where are we going?' she beamed as he joined her side.

'We can go anywhere you like.' The Doctor replied. 'Any year you particularly fancy?'

Ashley shrugged. 'Not really.' Her eyes lit up. 'Can I fly it?'

The Doctor shook his head immediately. 'Oh no. No, no.'

'Why not?'

'Because… Because it's very complicated. You have to know exactly what you're doing at all times.'

'_Pfft_,' Ashley waved her hand at him. 'Whatever. All you do is bash things.'

'I'll have you know that it took years of practice to learn which parts to… um… bash.'

Ashley shrugged. 'Okay then. Well I guess nothing would happen if I did this…'

Before the Doctor could stop her, she reached out and pulled a lever in front of her. The Doctor's hands shot to his head.

'No!' he cried. 'What are you doing?'

Ashley giggled as the Tardis started up. 'Don't plan.' She told him. 'Life's no fun if you plan.'

Before the Doctor could do anything, the Tardis was already soaring through time and space and onto another destination.

**TBC...**

* * *

_And that's episode three! I hope you enjoyed it. I think it might have ended a little too quickly but meh... I'm not going back to it now. Thanks everyone for reading again, and especially you lot who have commented on all of my stories! You all rock as hard as boulders :D_

_Episode Four is coming soon... not as quickly as the previous ones have though because I have to do a little bit of research on Gallifray... (little teaser for you all :p) _


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